The peak of this week’s Eta Aquarid meteor shower could start Sunday

By

Dave Epstein

Globe Story,

May 5, 2018

The milky way and meteors of the April Lyrids annual meteor shower are seen in the night sky over Burg auf Fehmarn on the Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn, northern Germany, on April 20. —DANIEL REINHARDT/AFP/Getty Images

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is expected to start its peak around Sunday, and the weather should cooperate at least most of the time.

These meteors are small chunks of rock that have come off Halley’s Comet, which won’t be back until 2061. But its debris can be seen this weekend.

The debris burns up upon entering our atmosphere, creating streaks of light that we call meteors. Meteors move fast, speeding through the atmosphere at about 30,000 mph. They are also hot, reaching temperatures of 3,000 degrees.